Kitchen Remodel Update

January 25, 2018

Okay, so it’s been a minute (or a few months!) since we chatted about our Phase 2 Kitchen Remodel. To refresh your memory…we did some basic updating on our 90s Kitchen before moving in, that consisted mostly of paint and a new backsplash (see that reveal here). I had bigger plans and ideas, but from a budget standpoint, they’d have to wait. Fast forward three years (can you believe we’ve lived here that long?!), and the Phase 2 Remodel is ON!

I knew I needed professional help (in more ways than one, ha!), so I called my uber-talented friend Emily Hewett and begged her to help me. We met years ago and became fast-friends, and I’ve loved watching her success skyrocket. She does whole-house, major design overhauls all over the country, so I was shocked she agreed to step in on my smallish project.

But actually, she and her team at A Well Dressed Home, take on projects of all sizes and budgets, and can offer everything from full-service design and install, to just the design plans. The moment I stepped in their offices, I knew my Kitchen was in good hands. See the plans and design components here.

My rockstar contractor pretty much took over from there, and Emily walked me through all the questions and issues that seem to pop up throughout a remodel. It was so comforting having someone with so much experience helping me with the big decisions!! The project is practically complete, only some cosmetic tweaks and styling remain…and the A Well Dressed Home team will come take care of that so I can have my big HGTV reveal moment!! Then I’ll share it with you!

I know a lot of you like the down and dirty progress pics…so forgive the horrible quality, but here’s what’s transpired so far. We’re adding a row of cabinets to extend all the way to ceiling, so custom boxes were built and installed to fill the gap.

We preserved the crown molding from the existing cabinets and used it along the ceiling line later.

The boxes were framed and painted to match the current lower cabinets, ‘Mindful Gray’ by Sherwin Williams, and the cathedral doors were removed and donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Our pretty new doors were sprayed off-site to cut down on the smell and mess.

Once they fully dried and cured, the doors were installed with hidden hinges. The new doors are taller than the previous ones for better proportions with the added row. The cabinet opening is smaller, but you only notice when the door is open.

New side panels were installed on the outside edge of all the cabinets for a seamless look between the two rows. The goal was to make it look as if all the cabinets were built at the same time, not as add-ons. He did a phenomenal job, don’t you think!?

Just swapping the doors and adding more cabinets made a massive difference.

We’re so close, and I can’t wait!! I can’t recommend Emily and A Well Dressed Home enough, regardless of where you live or what room you want to transform. Those girls know what they are doing! What do you think of the changes so far?

Me too w/the kitchen envy! Like wow! You are going to luv all the extra storage. I’d store my taxes up there, etc. What may work in the cabs near the ceiling are either baskets or canvas tote (buckets) w/pull handles (that mimic the cab pulls?) to neatly store stuff. Labeled of course!
What a joyful kitchen! Bravo!

That’s tricky because my contractor is extremely affordable, and gives me an even better deal because of the number of projects we’ve done over the years and the amount of referrals I’ve given him. So it wouldn’t be a fair gauge as to what someone in another part of the country would spend. I do give the prices of the hardware, etc I choose, and will pass along tips for saving in different areas!

Amazing what those changes can do to make it look so much higher end! Now it looks like it was always meant to look when you chose that gorgeous tile! One more thing that I’m sure your amazing contractor could do is build a box around the refrigerator attached to the side and bottom of the cabinets next to/on top of the fridge to make it look built-in. That way the big black side of the refrigerator isn’t seen, and it will match the custom look of the rest of the kitchen. I know the cabinet above the fridge isn’t the usual fridge depth, but even just having the box around sticking out below that cabinet would look great.

It’s amazing the amount of storage added and how much the look of the kitchen has changed. This is exactly what I have in mind for mine. How tall is your ceiling? Also, can you please show your breakfast nook? I don’t remember ever seeing it!

Amazing ideas, might have to add this to our kitchen as we currently have the space between the uppers and ceiling too. Are you putting hardware on your upper cabinets? Yes I’m curious too, how tall are your ceilings. 9ft for sure, maybe 10 ? I want to spray all my cupboards but my husband just wants to replace which is so much more money. Your sprayed doors look amazing. Hmmm, how can I convince him.

Yes ma’am, we’re putting hardware on every door and drawer ($$ :/) But I think it would look unfinished to skip the hardware on the uppers. My ceilings are 10-feet, so I just crawl up on the counter to reach! Also, we replaced the doors…but they come natural wood, so they spray them the paint color you choose.

The cabinets are looking great! What will you keep in those upper cabinets, and what’s your plan for reaching them? Our cabinets aren’t quite as high as yours, but I need the help of a small step stool to reach the top-shelf in our cabinets. Can’t wait to see the final reveal!

Well, my ceilings are 10-feet, so there’s no easily reaching even the top shelf of the lower cabinets!! I just climb up on the counter to reach things, but it’s mostly going to be storage for the seldom-used items!

Love, love, love the changes! They made a great kitchen extraordinary! I have been plotting where to put that gorgeous tile in my house ever since you first remodeled your kitchen. You were a tile trailblazer, girl! 🙌🏻 My only recommendation would be to at least consider the Delta Touch20 version of the faucet you have chosen. We have one and I will never buy a regular kitchen faucet again! Initially, there is an adjustment period – I mean, your faucet comes on when you touch it – that’s different! But, when your hands are yucky with food, paint, etc., just touch the spout with your arm. Love!

Looks great with the new cabinets! We are finishing up our kitchen, too. Last night while cooking in almost the dark I glared at my husband saying we really need to get the island lights. lol It’s been a dark winter! We are looking at the same ones you have- are you happy with them?

Gorgeous!! I would love my cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling. I have dead space above my cabinets that you can’t do anything with except hang a sign or other pretties. I have a question about your cabinet organization. I’m in the middle of purging and reorganizing all my cabinets. Where did you find the plate stackers? I don’t know if that’s what they are called but I have been looking for some and can’t find any in the right size. Yours look square and perfect size.

We are in the throws/final stages of finishing up our kitchen remodel and I am trying to make 2 decisions today regarding lighting and pulls/handles. I love the lights that you put above the windows on either side of your stove. I am about to order 3 but would LOVE to know, how far out do they extend (from wall to shade) the way you have them? I”m scared they may have to go out too far as I only have about 11″ from the center of the plate to the ceiling? Also, how do your knobs and drawer pulls look now that they are on? Do you love them? If I get the green light from you I will order immediately! Thank you so much!

So exciting, Leslie!! So I don’t understand your question exactly on the lights, but I will tell you there are 3 elbow joints…the base, the middle and at the shade, so you can adjust up and down and tweak the placement quite a bit. I have it mounted 6-inches from the ceiling, so mine goes out about 18-inches. If you mounted it lower from the ceiling, you could have it taller vs wider from the wall. I hope that makes sense. They def aren’t puny, and make a great statement. As for the hardware, I have one word: OBSESSED! It is so rich and warm and heavy…really transformed our space! maybe order one of each to see for yourself before ordering for all the doors/cabinets?